“There is an argument to be made that eating dogs is a part of Korean culture. And, while I don’t personally agree with it, I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideals,” he said in an Instagram post.

“The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty.”

But while his post chalked up close to 200,000 likes, others criticised his campaign for being one-sided in comparison to the many other animals being slaughtered and eaten in Western countries.

“This is neo-colonialism at its finest. Just because you like dogs doesn’t make eating pigs/cows/chicken etc any more moral. Especially when they are treated in equally barbaric ways,” said one Twitter user, @GOATnetsova.

US-based journalist, Joon Lee, pointed out that most Koreans did not eat dogs, and were against the practice.

A few notes:1) Most Koreans do not eat dogs, and are against the practice, especially amongst young people.2) While Kenworthy acknowledges the potential imposition of western standards, reality is 9 billion chickens are killed every year vs. 30 million dogs in Asian countries. https://t.co/1xOn84GidB

The practice is thousands of years old and has been fuelled by a belief that dog meat aids virility, although younger Koreans are generally opposed to it, and abuses have increased pressure on the government to take action.

Some Olympians took up the cause during the Pyeongchang Games, and South Korea offered money to restaurant owners near Olympic venues if they took dog meat off their menus.

Meanwhile, Mr Kenworthy justified his campaign as an easier problem to tackle than animal abuse in general. “I’m sorry if it seemed like I was judging Korean ppl. I’m not. I just wanna help end the dog abuse!” he explained on Twitter.